Cherishing Harry
by EBB - Sonnet 43
Summary: Harry and Matthew Potter are attacked by Lord Voldemort and are saved by Harry's love for Matthew. Matthew is called the BWL and Harry is accidentally shoved to the side by his parents. Sirius will do anything to give Harry the love he deserves. SB/OC
1. Prologue

**Cherishing Harry**

**Prologue**

Harry Potter reached out over the side of his crib, trailing his pudgy baby fingers down the soft arm of his mother, Lily.

At fifteen months old Harry was a pretty baby. His soft ebony hair was messy at the top but curled slightly at the nape of his neck. Emerald green eyes adorned his smiling face. Flushed cheeks sat above rosy lips that were constantly curved in laughter.

His sweet baby face promised of great beauty when he was grown.

Lily turned to look at her oldest child while cradling Harry's twin, Matthew, in her arms.

Harry smiled hopefully at his mother, raising his arms as if to be picked up.

Her two boys were only similar in their hair color, black like their father's. The resemblance ended there, though. While Harry had his mother's emerald eyes, Matthew had his paternal grandmother's grey-blue eyes. Harry, aside from his eye color, look like an exact replica of his father, James. Matthew, however, favored his maternal grandmother with a slightly longer neck and very high cheekbones.

Matthew, she knew deep down, was no where near as pretty or sweet tempered as Harry. She regretted not spending time with her sweeter son. However, she knew she had to spend all the time she had with Matthew, as he was destined to face Lord Voldemort, the most evil dark wizard of the age. And Matthew's chances of winning against him were horribly low; she could not lose the only time she might have with Matthew for anything. Not even her other son.

Lily situated herself on the glider between Harry's crib and the window. Humming, she rocked Matthew as Harry looked on, disappointed again as his mother favored Matthew.

It all came down to their very different scar's, really. Matthew had a shiny burn above his left eyebrow, perfectly shaped like a star.

The nursery door opened and Harry's father, James, strolled over to his wife and kissed her deeply before smoothing Matthew's hair from his forehead and brushing a tender kiss upon it.

Upon seeing this, Harry gave an indgnant squeak and James chuckled and moved to Harry's crib. Harry again held up his arms but recieved only a hair ruffle.

A stair creaked and James' head snapped up towards the door immeadeatly. Lily stood, clutching Matthew to her, and quickly drew her wand. James swiftly crossed to the wall next to the door and prepared to attack whomever came through first.

A tense atmoshpere engulfed the room as everyone inside silently waited.

Charging into the room, Sirius Black stopped short at seeing two wands pointed at him.

"Wha-" Sirius began.

"Christ, Sirius!" James swore. "I could have cursed you! Announce yourself the next time, you know how dangerous things are now!"

Lily breathed a sigh of relief, "Oh, thank goodness, Sirius, we though you were a Death Eater or something."

"Nah, you know me, just came to see my godson!" Sirius replied calmly, "And there's the handsome chap now!" He continued, moving towards Harry's crib.

Harry gave a excited squeal and laughed, "PAA-FFF-T!"

Sirius laughed and said, "No, Harry, PAD-FOOT!"

"PA-FT!"

"I guess that'll work, kid," Sirius replied, resigned.

"Aren't you going to say 'hi' to Matty, Sirius?" interjected Lily.

"Naw," Sirius answered, looking up from Harry, "it looks like you've got him covered." And he promptly returned to Harry.

Lily and James exchanged a confused look and, for the next hour, thought "Why did Sirius like Harry better than Matthew? Didn't he know that he could spend time with Harry AFTER Matthew defeated Lord Voldemort? Matthew needed Sirius now."


	2. The Argument

**Cherishing Harry**

**The Argument**

The adults in the room did not speak to each other. The silence between the three of them was slightly tense.

For more than two hours Lily and James spoke neither with each other nor with Sirius.

Only the noise that Harry and Sirius were making as they played catch together with a large, fluffy, golden snitch on floor punctured the silence between the three.

Finally, the clock in the hall struck seven and Lily stood from the glider, where she had been rocking Matthew, and said,

"It's time for Mattie and Harry to have dinner and go to bed. I'm sure that you don't want to stick around for the messy parts of parenting, Sirius, you can go."

Sirius blinked and said, "I don't mind at all. It looks like you and Prongs have your hands full with Matthew, anyway. I can take care of this little bloke, I know you don't care."

Sirius scooped up a giggling Harry, spun him around, and exited through the door to the hall, completely missing the look of hurt shock on Lily's face and the stoney anger on James' face.

* * *

><p>Entering the airy kitchen, Sirius plopped Harry down into his highchair and fastened him in, ruffling Harry's hair as he passed to get Harry dinner.<p>

Sirius washed his hands, found a baby plate, a fork, and a sippy-cup, pulled the milk jug, the fish-sticks, and the mashed potatoes out of the ice box, and heated the mashed potatoes and the fish-sticks with a warming charm.

He happily piled the potatoes and the fish-sticks onto the plate and poured the milk into Harry's sippy-cup before pulling up a chair and sitting next to Harry to feed him dinner.

* * *

><p>Lily hurried down the stairs towards the kitchen after Sirius left the room and quickly fixed Matthew dinner, not bothering to worry about Harry, as Sirius was taking care of him. As soon as she was finished feeding Matthew, Lily whisked him back upstairs and readied for bed and tucked him in, hoping to be back downstairs to prevent James from saying things she knew he would regret.<p>

* * *

><p>James, however, followed Lily down to the kitchen at a much more sedate pace. He entered the kitchen after Lily and leaned against the counter across from Sirius and clamped his lips together in a narrow line, not wanting to speak until Lily had returned upstairs. Knowing Lily, he snorted nastily in his mind, she would try to save his friendship with Sirius for as long as possible. But, Mattie comes first. If Sirius hates Mattie, then Sirius will no longer be welcome to return.<p>

James needed to get to the bottom of things. His relationship with Sirius was becoming more and more strained as time went on. Lord Voldemort's attack had changed things. James could feel the icy glances Sirius gave him and Lily whenever they were holding Matthew. James wanted to know why Sirius hated Mattie. And what Sirius meant by, 'I know you don't care'.

* * *

><p>Sirius could feel the tension and anger rolling off of James in waves. He always could, ever since their first year at Hogwarts.<p>

Wondering what had happened now, he quickly finished feeding Harry before magically washing the dishes and returning them to their rightful places.

Sirius stood and faced James, crossing his arms over his chest for comfort, knowing that with James, things like this took a very long time.

* * *

><p>James' eyes narrowed when he saw Sirius' arms cross. Sirius was already on the defensive.<p>

"What the sodding hell do you think you're playing at?" snapped James sharply.

"What do you mean?" Sirius returned, confused as to what James meant but knowing that showing any weakness to James in an argument was like declaring defeat.

"Don't be thick! You said that I don't love my son! That I don't care what happens to him!" James shouted back at Sirius.

"Well sometime you act like it!" Sirius snapped back, without thinking how that sounded. "You act as if 'precious' Matthew were Merlin's gift to the whole goddamn planet, you DON'T care!"

"That's the stupidest argument I've ever heard! You said I act as if he were Merlin's gift to the planet and that I don't care about him in the same sentence!"

"THE HELL IT DOESN'T!" Sirius roared back, fed up with this argument and enraged that James hadn't even thought to mention Harry. "You don't give a damn about Harry, and that proves it! You didn't even think for one instant that I was speaking of Harry! The only one you care about is Matthew!"

"That's not true, Sirius," Lily, who had returned to the room when the shouting escalated, murmured with tears glistening in her eyes. "We do love Harry."

"Damn fine way of showing it," muttered Sirius.

James moved toward Sirius, as if to hit him, and Sirius wished he would, if only to wake him from this nightmare. His relationship with two of his best friends was crumbling, over a misbegotten word. But Lily took hold of James' arm and said sharply, sniffing a little,

"No James! You mustn't!"

She turned back to Sirius and sighed loudly, her tears causing her to hiccup some. "It's just... It's just we have so much more time with him! Mattie is the one in the prophesy!He could be dead before he even reaches majority! We have ages with Harry!" By the end, Lily was sobbing and shrieking.

"Yeah," Sirius said hotly, "how do you explain that to a child? All he can understand is that you prefer his brother. All he knows is that he's second best!"

"We can explain it to him! He'll understand!" Lily cried, sobbing into her hand.

"How? Will you tell him that Matthew's life is just more immediate? More important? WHAT IF HARRY DIES FIRST AND YOU NEVER KNEW HIM?"

Lily sobbed harder than ever, and James wrapped an arm around her before responding in a cold voice, "That will never happen. Mattie is the Boy-Who-Lived. Not Harry."

"How can you know for a fact? What if they take him out to get to Matthew?" Sirius shouted, trying to make them understand how special both of their sons were.

"Mattie needs all the training, protection, and love we have. He needs all the love you have too. Harry will just have to wait," answered James.

"Harry can't 'just wait'! He's a baby! Babies NEED love! I love him as if he were mine! I can't just turn that off on your whim! And as his parent, you shouldn't want me too. For the love between a parent and their child, YOU SHOULDN'T BE ABLE TO EITHER!"

James sneered nastily and spoke without thinking, "But the fact of the matter is, is that he's not yours. He's mine. And what would you know about parental love? You hated your mother and she hated you. And you don't have children. You probably never will. You'll die old and alone. Without a wife. Without an heir. The last of the Blacks."

Lily gasped and Sirius' eyes narrowed. His fists clinched. James knew nothing of how is life was now. He had been cooped up in this house since before Harry and Matthew were born. And Sirius wasn't particularly inclined to tell him.

James' words echoed around the kitchen, and what he had said to Sirius caught up with him and he took half a step forward, looking apologetic.

Before James could say another word, Sirius fist swung into James' nose and there was a loud popping sound.

"Bastard," Sirius muttered before turning sharply on the spot and apparating away.


	3. Lissa

**Cherishing Harry**

**Lissa**

Sirius had no specific place in mind as he disapparated, he just wanted to get away. He wanted to be with someone who had nothing to do with the argument. Someone who wouldn't take sides. Someone who could heal the ache in his heart where James and Lily used to be.

Sirius let his subconscious dictate his destination, and when the squeezing sensation of his apparation finally finished, the first thing he saw was the dark grey door of a London flat. He cast a brief glance at the flat number and his spirits lifted slightly. 609.

Raising his hand, he knocked three times on the door.

* * *

><p>Larissa jumped at the sudden, loud 'POP!'. <em>Someone's here for me<em>, she thought nervously, setting her bowl down on the counter. _I'm not expecting anyone, and I'm the only witch in the building. They have to be here for me._

She hadn't been this frightened for a month now, since the war had ended. She crossed to the door as swiftly and silently as she could, quietly drawing her wand as well. _I've never been a fantastic fighter_, she thought critically, _but then again, they're not expecting me to be prepared. Maybe, with the element of surprise on my side, I can get myself out of this..._

She nearly flew out of her skin at the knock on the door.

_Death Eaters wouldn't knock, so, who...? I never have visitors..._

Larissa opened the door a crack, unable to see who it was but putting her wand through the door enough so that a curse could slip out if need be.

* * *

><p>The door opened a crack and Sirius blinked. He wasn't prepared to come face-to-face with the business end of a wand.<p>

"What the hell...?" Sirius said, surprised. "Lissa, open the damn door."

"No. Who is it?" Lissa said, trying to speak calmly despite her fear. She opened the door a smidge more. When she saw who it was, her eyes widened. She hadn't expected to see someone who looked like _Sirius Black_ outside her door.

"You know bloody well who it is, Lissa. It's Sirius. Open up!"

"No I bloody well don't!" she snapped, "Prove that it's you!"

"Oh, hell," Sirius groaned. "Let's see, I got hurt so often in the field that you were assigned as my personal healer. Does that work, your highness?"

"Nope," Lissa answered cheekily, opening the door fully, "anyone would know that, but no one else has ever called me 'your highness' but you. What can I do you for?"

"I need to talk to you, but, as interesting as it is for your neighbors, I don't really fancy talking to you on your doorstep."

Lissa waved her hand, dismissing his concerns about her neighbors but allowed him in none the less.

"Don't worry, Sirius. All the frightening old people that live around me are asleep by now. Most of them tuck in quite early," Lissa replied cheekily.

"Har har," Sirius said dryly, but he was smiling already. Lissa had always had that effect on him.


	4. Needing: Part I

**Cherishing Harry**

**Needing: Part I**

Sirius took a look around Lissa's flat. The last time he had been to her flat, she had just moved in and nothing had been unpacked.

He entered living room through the front door and noticed that a large, squishy sofa and matching armchair faced the crackling fireplace that was on the adjacent right-hand wall. The wall behind the armchair held French doors that led out to a small balcony and there was also a pristine coffee table between the sofa and the fireplace that held a large book and a bowl of bright green apples. Next to the fireplace was a muggle television which was situated on top of a small, stuffed bookshelf.

On the other side of the front door was a set of stairs that went up a few steps and then turned to the left (while facing them) and in the alcove created by the stairs, there was a large vase of light pink peonies.

Next to the stairs was a fairly large, gleaming kitchen whose set of table and chairs were between the sofa and the fourth, and final, wall.

The main colors Sirius saw in the flat were white, a rosy pink, and a soft green. The floors were a warm colored hardwood, covered by a cushy, white rug and the walls were an off-white color.

Muggle paintings of flowers, landscapes, and horses hung on the walls and waving pictures of Lissa's friends sat on the mantle of the fireplace.

Inspecting the pictures, Sirius' heart gave a little jolt. He saw himself winking cheekily back at him.

* * *

><p>In the time that it had taken Sirius to look around the first floor of her flat, Lissa had returned to what she had been doing before Sirius had appeared, which was finishing cooking her dinner. Glad she had made enough for two, Lissa popped the meal into the oven and set the timer for 45 minutes.<p>

Reaching into a cabinet, Lissa pulled out two wineglasses. Summoning a bottle of red wine and uncorking it, she poured a decent amount in both and carried them over to the sofa.

Setting Sirius' glass on the coffee table, she curled her feet under her as she sat on the sofa and took a sip of her wine.

When Sirius finally turned turned his gaze to her, he had a small smile on his face.

Gesturing to the the glass of wine on the table, Lissa said, "I thought you might need it."

Sirius sighed, "You thought right."

"Rough day?" she sympathized.

"You have no idea," Sirius said, sitting down beside Lissa.


	5. Needing: Part II

**Cherishing Harry**

**Needing: Part II**

The timer on Lissa's oven dinged.

Getting up, she walked over to her dining table and set her glass down before walking into her kitchen to take the food out of the oven.

"Hungry?" she called over to Sirius, who was still sitting on the sofa.

Sirius' stomach gave an audible rumble. He hadn't realized that he was hungry until then.

"Starved, actually," standing up, Sirius walked over to the kitchen and got down the plates that Lissa had been standing on tiptoe to get.

"Thanks," she said, smiling.

He smiled too, "No problem."

Lissa picked her wand up and gave it a brief twist and two set of knives, forks, napkins, and place-mats soared over to the table, setting themselves in the proper places.

"You're good at that," Sirius remarked casually.

"My mum taught me," Lissa said quietly.

Sirius' jaw clenched briefly. He hadn't meant to bring up bad memories. Sirius knew that two years hadn't made her pain any less. At the height of Voldemort's reign, he sent some of his Death Eaters after her parents because joined the Order of the Phoenix. Luckily, her father had gone to France to visit his sick mother and had escaped the attack, but her mother was caught in the crosshairs and died.

"She'd be really proud of you," he said softly, placing a hand on her shoulder.

Lissa looked away and cleared her throat a couple times before crossing to another drawer in the kitchen and pulling out a serving spoon.

"How much would you like?" she asked, clearly changing the subject.

"What is it?"

"Chicken pot pie," she replied.

"Then pile it on!" he said, grinning. "You know your pot pie is the reason I visit you so often."

She laughed, "Not true! It's because you _lurve_ me!"

He smiled back at her, "Of course, that's the reason! I knew I was forgetting something!"

She served them both some dinner and they sat down at her dining table.

After a few minutes of silence and eating, she asked, "what did you want to talk about?"

After a moment of silence and a deep breath, Sirius said, "It's about Harry."

* * *

><p>"DAMB!" shouted James, pinching his nose to stop the bleeding.<p>

Lily drew her wand and, out of habit, James backed away slightly.

Lily rolled her eyes, "Be still, James," she muttered. "_Episkey!_"

James gave a small grunt as his nose popped back into place and Lily flicked her wand to remove the blood from James' shirt and face.

Once she was finished, she took several steps back from James and leaned on the counter opposite him.

The silence between the stretched on for several minutes.

Finally, Lily broke the silence, saying quietly, "you really shouldn't have said that, you know."

"Yeah," James responded gruffly, "it was over the line."

"As long as you realize that."

James took a deep breath, "He'll come around. We've had arguments before. He always does,"

Lily gave a slightly watery smile, "I don't think so, James. Not this time."

James' jaw clenched and his eyes narrowed slightly, "He was wrong."

"Be that as it may," Lily said gently, "I think you have something to apologize for too."

"Not until he does," James grumbled stubbornly while crossing his arms.

Lily's eyebrows scrunched and she bit her lip sadly, thinking, _Then they'll never be friends again._

Seeing Lily bite her lip, James felt part of his anger ebb away. He reached out his hand to her and offered her a sad half-smile to which she responded with one of her own.

She took his hand and said, "Let's go to bed."

James nodded and, hand-in-hand, they walked upstairs together.

Before going to bed, they peeked in on Matthew and, seeing that he was sound asleep, they went to bed themselves.

* * *

><p>Still in his highchair and alone in the kitchen, a tear rolled down Harry's cheek and he began to cry for the first time that night.<p>

He hadn't cried when his father and Sirius were arguing nor had he cried when Sirius left without saying goodbye to him. But being left alone in the kitchen by his parents started the ball rolling.

As another tear rolled down baby Harry's face, a soft pop sounded in the kitchen, unheard by his parents who were sleeping deeply on the floor above.

With that soft pop, baby Harry apparated away from the Potter family home.


	6. Idea

**Cherishing Harry**

**Idea**

Lissa was astonished by three things. First, by Sirius' story about how the Potters. Second, by what James had said to Sirius. Even she, who had barely met the Potter, knew that James and Sirius were thick as thieves. And third, by what he wanted to do about Harry.

"Sirius," she said, trying to be rational, "you can't possibly believe that the Potters would just hand over their son to you."

"Well, why not?" Sirius asked excitedly, "It's not like he's the first born! They'd still have their heir! I love Harry. And I'm willing to fight for him. In court."

"Sirius," she began again, "it wouldn't work. The Wizengamot will never rule in favor against the parents of the Boy-Who-Lived. You must realize that."

Sirius made a noise as if he would interrupt.

"No, wait, I'm not finished," she said, holding up a hand to forestall him, "and on top of that, you're a Black. But you're not even a Black who has allies to back him up. You're allies _were_ the Potters. Or Dumbledore. But he won't side with you either. So that means none of the other light sided members of the Wizengamot will side with you. The dark side won't help you out either, even to see the Potters lose. You're estranged from your mother and she is a big part of that side because, even if she wasn't a Death Eater, she is related by blood or marriage to most of the dark families on the Wizengamot. Like the Malfoys. Or the Flints. She is related to _everyone_."

"Ok, ok, I get it," Sirius said slowly.

"Finally," Lissa muttered.

"I would need support in order to get Harry," he finished with his eyes narrowed.

"Not exactly what I meant."

POP!

Sirius and Lissa jumped.

"What was that?" Sirius whispered.

"No idea," Lissa murmured back.

"I'll check it out," Sirius said, moving towards the door.

Opening the door slowly, with his wand out, Sirius didn't see anyone. "_Homenum Revelio!_"

When the spell revealed one person, Sirius opened the door wide, intending to face the intruder head-on.

Sirius' eyes widened in surprise.

"Harry!"


	7. Arrival

**Cherishing Harry**

**Arrival**

"Harry?" Lissa questioned.

"Harry," Sirius confirmed, picking Harry up and bringing him inside.

Harry snuggled into Sirius' arms as Lissa crossed to the door before closing it and locking it.

Lissa pulled out her wand and cast several privacy spells before walking up the stairs.

Sirius sat down on the sofa and looked at Harry, "was it something I said?"

Harry's response was a soft snore. Sirius placed his hand on Harry's head and began to lightly stroke his hair.

* * *

><p>When Lissa came back downstairs ten minutes later, Sirius looked up and was about to ask her what just happened when she placed a finger to her lips and motioned him to get up.<p>

"Bring Harry," she whispered.

Moving back upstairs, the both walked softly so as not to wake up Harry.

Sirius followed Lissa into one of the two rooms at the top of the stairs. Entering the room on the right-hand side, Sirius saw what Lissa had done.

She had transfigured the furniture and decorations that had been in the room into baby things. There was a light blue cot with a quidditch mobile, a matching glider, a changing table, and a toy chest filled with plush toys. The walls were a light blue and the floor was a plush white carpeting and the ceiling was a moving mural of a blue sky with fluffy white clouds and several slowly fluttering snitches.

"This is wonderful," Sirius whispered in amazement.

Lissa's only response was a light blush.

Sirius laid Harry down in the cot, and Harry remained fast asleep.

Lissa motioned for Sirius to exit the room and she waved her wand, casting a monitoring charm that would let them know when Harry woke up and casting a silencing charm on the room so that they wouldn't wake Harry up if their talking got too loud.

Gently pushing Sirius toward the stairs, Lissa said, "This changes everything Sirius."

"I know."


	8. Plans

**Cherishing Harry**

**Plans**

"I have an idea, Sirius, but you may not like it," Lissa said hesitantly.

"I'm listening," Sirius said, "if it helps Harry, I'm all for it."

"If you're sure."

"I am."

"You need to keep Harry." Larissa rushed out.

"What?" Sirius replied, shocked.

"Shush! Listen, you need to move fast if you want to be able to keep him."

"What did you have in mind?" Sirius responded cautiously.

"First off, we need to find the instructions for a blood adoption potion."

"What?! Why?!" Sirius yelped.

"Because, no one will be able to take him if he is your son."

"How will making him my son help? It's not like I have a way to prove that I didn't just take him and force feed him a potion. What can I say when people ask me where he came from? 'Oh, I hid him and his mother away without telling anyone about them because I was the lure as the Potter's secret keeper'," Sirius said sarcastically.

"Exactly," Lissa responded with a slightly smug smile.

"Except there are several problems. One, I can't make a simple potion to save my life, much less a blood adoption potion. Two, I don't have a birth certificate for this supposed child. Three, and most importantly, I don't have a wife who would back me up on this," Sirius said, trying to poke holes in Lissa's plan.

"Okay, first of all, I am a healer. I can make all the potions needed," Lissa responded, slightly insulted.

"Liss, I didn't mean it like- ," Sirius tried to assure her.

"AND, I'm sure you know people who can forge documents and have the strings to pull to do so!" Lissa said slightly louder, cutting him off.

"Yeah, my family full of nutters," Sirius muttered sarcastically.

"Right," Lissa said seriously, "that's part of it Sirius. You won't have a choice. You have to make peace with your mother. You'll need her support."

"WHAT!?" Sirius roared, standing up quickly.

"Sit down, Sirius, before you pop a blood vessel," Lissa murmured, putting her face into her hands, "I told you that you might not like it."

"You're damn well right I don't like it!" Sirius ground out angrily.

"But you know I'm right," Lissa said softly.

Sirius took a deep breath and sat back down, "What does it matter?" He said, "I don't have a mother for Harry nor a wife to present to my mother."

"I thought of that too," Lissa said slowly. "I thought that maybe I could be Harry's mum."

"You?" Sirius responded, slightly shocked.

"Glad to know I'm appreciated," Lissa said dryly.

"I just meant," Sirius said reassuringly, "that I wouldn't want to take your life away from you."

"How would it be taking my life away from me?"

"Well, you'd be tied to me for your whole life, for a start," Sirius responded, only half-joking.

Reaching her hand across the table to rest on Sirius' hand, Lissa said, "What if I'd like that?"

For a minute, Sirius was stunned.

"_You_ would want to be tied to _me_?" He asked incredulously.

"Is that really so hard to believe?" Lissa asked, slightly hurt. "Do you think that you're too good for me?"

"NO! Not at all!" Sirius said honestly.

"What then?" Lissa responded sharply.

"I always thought that you were too good for me."

"What?" Lissa asked, incredulous.

"You heard me," Sirius said quietly, looking down at his now empty wineglass.

Standing up, Lissa went over to Sirius and took his wineglass from him.

"More?" She asked.

Sirius shook his head, "No, thank you."

Flicking her wand, their two glasses floated over to the sink and began washing themselves as the wine bottle corked itself and returned to the icebox.

Turning back to look at Sirius, Lissa saw that he was looking down at the table and gripping it hard with both hands.

Coming up behind him, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and gave him a warm hug.

He looked up, a little startled and she pecked him on the cheek.


	9. Actions: Part I

**Cherishing Harry**

**Actions: Part I**

"Right then," Lissa said, releasing her arms, "We have a lot of work to do, and very little time in which to do it."

As she was moving to sit back where she had been, Sirius grabbed her hand and pulled her into the seat next to him.

She blushed a bit but said nothing and, giving her wand a small twist, she summoned a few rolls of parchment, two quills, and a couple pots of ink.

"Okay," She started, "we need to make a list of things we have to do. First of all, Sirius, I need you to go get everything that you will ever want from your flat. Clothes, books, photos, etc."

Sirius sat there for a moment, "OH! You mean now?"

"_Yes_, I mean now!" Lissa said, a bit exasperated.

"Okay then!" Sirius exclaimed happily as he popped up and went for the door.

"Wait!" Lissa said, laughing at his antics, "do you know of any books that have the blood adoption potions in them?"

"Yeah, actually, I do!" Sirius responded enthusiastically. "What about _Moste Potente Potions_?"

"Ugh! Duh," Lissa said to herself. Then, smiling, she said to Sirius, "I've got a copy! It was my mum's, first edition. Did you know she had a potions mastery?"

"No, I didn't. That's really cool, Liss."

"Thanks, Sirius. Okay! You go get your things while I find the potion," Lissa responded, still smiling.

* * *

><p>When Sirius returned with all of his things an hour and a half later, Lissa had found the book and created a list of all the things that they need to do.<p>

Reading aloud over her shoulder, Sirius read,

" - get Sirius' stuff set up in the flat

- get rings

- come up with a name

- finish the potion

- give him the potion

- reconcile with Sirius' family

- get married

- forge the proper forms

- forge baby's first...

- forge pregnancy things

- select godparents

- get help from Sirius' family"

"Quite ambitious, aren't you?" Sirius asked teasingly.

"Quite," Lissa responded faux-primly.

"What should we start with first?" Sirius asked.

"I think that I should begin the potion now and that you should set your stuff up around the flat. It shouldn't take too long to prepare the potion but it will take a few hours to be completely finished," Lissa said, her last few words obscured by a yawn.

"Tired, are you?" Sirius teased.

"Uh huh," Lissa yawned, "but I've got so much to do! Start spreading your stuff around, Sirius. I've got to work on the potion. After we're finished, we can pick names."

"Ma'am yes ma'am!"

Lissa gave a little laugh and went to work on the potion.


	10. Actions: Part II

**Cherishing Harry**

**Actions: Part II**

Two hours later, Lissa had just finished putting the final touches on the potion before setting it to stew and Sirius had just finished arranging all of his things around Lissa's- _His and Lissa's_ flat.

He had put photos on the mantel and, with Lissa's approval, hung a few things on the walls. He had put his pillow on the bed and his clothes in the closet. He put his toiletries away in the bathroom and his old school trunk, filled with old quidditch and school robes that no longer fit and pranking things, under the bed. He enlarged the already cramped bookcase and added his own books - old school books, books from his Uncle Alphard, and books he had bought on his own. He put his various odds, ends, and trinkets on surfaces around the flat and he put his old (and seldom used) potions things into an upstairs closet where Lissa stored her caldron.

Collapsing on to the sofa, Sirius called to Lissa, "I'm finished! Everything's put away!"

"Great!" She replied, "I've just finished too!"

Lissa picked up a couple pieces of parchment, a quill, and a pot of ink, before heading over to the sofa.

Putting her things down on the coffee table, she plucked a pillow off of the sofa and plopped it down on the floor so that she would have a surface to write on.

"Alright, Sirius. We have-" Lissa checked her watch, "four hours to come up with a name for our son. Considering the fact that we have to reconcile you with your family, I think that we should pick a name in the Black family tradition of astrology or mythology."

Sirius sighed, "Yeah, I guess you're right."

After a few minutes of contemplation, Lissa said, "I think that his middle name should be Orion."

"What? Why?" Sirius asked, slightly startled.

"Well, because your father's middle name was Sirius, right?"

"Yeah, so?"

"And your middle name is Orion, right?" Lissa said, spelling it out for him.

"Right."

"_So_, it would be in keeping with tradition, wouldn't it?" Lissa huffed, a little bit exasperated.

"Yeah. So 'Something Orion Black', huh?" Sirius said a bit sarcastically.

"I think that would be good."

"Right. Then it's decided. All we have to do now is think of a first name," Sirius responded.

"Okay, any suggestions?" Lissa asked.

"What Hercules?"

"You want to give a kid the name 'Hercules'?" Lissa asked incredulously.

"What's wrong with Hercules?" Sirius said defensively.

"Nothing, nothing," Lissa said jokingly condescending.

"Idiot," she muttered under her breath.

"I heard that!" Sirius said, faking insult.

Lissa just laughed.

* * *

><p>After about an hour and forty-five minutes they had twelve possible names, including 'Hercules' which Sirius had insisted she write down.<p>

"So, should we decide from these?" Lissa asked.

"Sure," Sirius responded, "read 'em off."

Clearing her throat Lissa read, with a roll of her eyes, the first name on the list, "Hercules."

"No," she said before Sirius could get a word in. "I am _not_ naming my child Hercules."

"Fine, fine," Sirius said, holding his hands up in mock defense. "You can cross that one off."

"Thank the dear lord," Lissa muttered while drawing a thick line though 'Hercules'.

"I heard that too," Sirius said cheekily.

"Phineas?" Lissa asked, with another roll of her eyes.

"_No!_" Sirius said sharply. "I will only follow Black tradition so far. Read off the names that haven't been used before."

"Alright, here they are:

Perseus,"

"Maybe," muttered Sirius. "It could work. Bit girly though,"

"Jason"

"Not outlandish enough," Sirius said.

"Alright, Jason is out," Lissa said while crossing 'Jason' off the list.

"Ares?" Lissa asked.

"Too war-like," Sirius responded.

"No 'Ares' then," Lissa muttered.

"Cadmus?"

"That could work," Sirius said, "he would be right at home."

"Maybe not, then," Lissa reasoned, "I mean, we want him to fit in but not sound like a 100% Black."

"Right, then 'no' to that one as well," Sirius agreed.

"Nike?"

"Isn't that a muggle shoe company?" Sirius asked.

"You're right," Lissa said, "that one's out."

"Endymion?" Lissa continued.

"Ugh!" replied Sirius.

"I guess that answers that," Lissa murmured, scratching out Endymion.

"How about 'Boreas'?"

"What girl would want to go out with a kid whose name sounds like boring?" Sirius said meanly.

"True. Very True," Lissa said faux-seriously.

"What about the name 'Alkon'?"

"It could work," Sirius responded, "but I'm not too fond of it."

"Nor am I," Lissa admitted.

"Hector?"

"I like it, but it's a bit too plain for my family," Sirius replied

"Aeneas?"

Sirius sat up from where he had been laying down on the sofa. "That's it!" He half-shouted. "That's the one!"

"I like it too!" Lissa said, grinning as she stood up to throw the parchment away.

"Aeneas Orion Black! Welcome to the family!" Sirius cheered, getting up to spin Lissa around.

Lissa gave a small shriek of surprise and then laughed, caught up in Sirius' exuberance.

When Sirius put her down, she was still laughing and he realized that he had never fully appreciated how beautiful she was.


	11. Actions: Part III

**Cherishing Harry**

**Actions: Part III**

"Lissa?" Sirius began.

They had been sitting for about thirty minutes, waiting for the potion to be finished, when Sirius could finally put into words what he had been preparing himself for.

"Yeah?" Lissa responded sleepily.

"I have something I need to ask you," Sirius said quietly.

Sitting up now and looking concerned, Lissa reached over and took Sirius' hand.

"What is it, Sirius?"

Grasping her hand more tightly, Sirius stood and pulled Lissa up with him.

"I know that what's been going hasn't been conventional at all, but I'd like to do one thing right," Sirius said earnestly.

"What are you talking about?" Lissa asked cautiously.

Sirius reached into his back pocket and pulled out a small, black box.

As he got down onto one knee, Lissa gasped.

"Larissa Adelaide Montmorency, will you marry me?" asked Sirius.

Even after clearing her throat a few times, Lissa's answer came with a slight croaking, "Yes! Yes, of course."

After Sirius opened the box and slipped the ring onto Lissa's finger, he stood up and pressed his lips to hers in a tender kiss.

Lissa was startled at first, but quickly kissed him back.

When Sirius finally pulled away, Lissa leaned her head on his shoulder and laid her left hand on his chest to take a good look at her ring.

When she saw it, her head jerked up sharply.

"Oh my god!" Lissa squealed.

Her ring was a four-carat, cushion cut diamond surrounded by bead-set diamonds.

"_Oh_ _my god!_"

"I take it you like it?" Sirius said cheekily.

Lissa gave him a quick kiss before flopping down onto the sofa to admire her ring.

* * *

><p>A short while later both Sirius and Lissa jolted awake when a bell chimed.<p>

"The potion's done," Lissa murmured as she got up and stretched.

Taking the caldron off of the burner and setting it in the dry sink, Lissa took one of the needles she had set aside and pricked her left index finger.

She held her hand over the potion and, pausing briefly to check the instructions, squeezed five drops of her blood out of her finger.

Moving quickly, she picked up a long-handled wooden spoon and slowly stirred the potion five times clockwise.

"Sirius?" she called urgently, "come over here please!"

Sirius hurried over and Lissa grabbed his left hand and pricked his left index finger with the other needle and squeezed out five drops of his blood into the potion.

She again took the spoon and again stirred five times clockwise.

"There," Lissa sighed, whipping her brow, "it's done."

"We should get Harry," Sirius murmured.

"Right," Lissa muttered as she turned towards the stairs.

* * *

><p>When Lissa returned with a drowsy Harry, Sirius had already transfigured a plastic cup into a bottle for Harry and filled it with the potion.<p>

As soon as Harry saw Sirius, Harry reached his pudgy, baby arms out to him and Sirius accepted Harry right away.

Before Harry could see what she was doing, Lissa pointed her wand at Harry and muttered a charm that her mother had taught her to get babies to take their potions buy making them taste their favorite food until they were finished.

Holding Harry close to him, Sirius offered Harry the bottle and Harry accepted it readily, quickly downing and finishing the potion.

As soon as the potion began to sink in, Harry fell into a deep and dreamless sleep.

Sirius carried Harry back up to his cot and gently laid him in it.

Sirius brushed the hair off of Harry's forehead and gave Harry a kiss.


	12. Actions: Part IV

**Cherishing Harry**

**Actions: Part IV**

_BEEP!_

Sirius jerked awake.

"What was that?!" Sirius asked Lissa urgently.

Shaking her head to wake herself up some more, Lissa sat up.

"It's nothing," she assured Sirius. "It's just the baby monitor."

When Sirius still looked a bit confused Lissa elaborated.

"It means that Harry's up. And," checking her watch to see what time it was, "it's 7:00 am. The potion should be finished."

With that, Sirius leapt up and hurried across the hall to Harry's room with Lissa in tow.

When they peaked in the door, Harry was standing up in his cot, clutching the railing to keep himself upright.

Lissa immediately opened the door fully and swept into the room, scooping him up and giving him a big hug.

Harry giggled and snuggled his little head against the side of Lissa's neck.

And that's when the smell hit Lissa.

"Oh, boy!" she said, laughing. "Someone needs his diaper changed!"

As Lissa carried Harry over to the changing table, Sirius stood stock still, drinking in the differences between Harry Potter and the boy who was now their son.

While Harry had been all James in looks with only Lily's eyes, he now looked almost completely different.

Harry still had black hair, like both Lissa and Sirius, but instead of being messy all over, it curled slightly - like Sirius'.

Now, Harry had Sirius' bone structure and would grow up to be tall and slightly broad-shouldered. He also had some of Sirius' facial features. He would grow up to have Sirius' strong jawline and high, aristocratic cheekbones.

The rest of his facial features, however, came straight from Lissa.

He had her long eyelashes and her perfectly straight and slightly upturned nose. He had also inherited her brilliant blue eyes and her rosy, full lips.

Sirius could even see parts of his brother, Regulus, in Harry. The thought made him sad, so he quickly put it out of his mind.

When Sirius looked over at Harry - _no,_ Sirius thought, _I need to get used to calling him Aeneas_, Aeneas stretched out his hand to Sirius and Sirius could see that Aeneas' fingers were long and elegant.

"PA-FT!" Har- _Aeneas_ called to him with a sweet smile while wiggling his fingers.

Coming when Aeneas called, Sirius strolled over to the changing table and placed his hand on Aeneas' head and slowly massaged his fingers into Aeneas' hair.

Aeneas gave a soft, baby sigh and gave Sirius a happy smile.

"All done!" Lissa half-sang to Aeneas as she lifted him up and tickled him.

Aeneas' shrieks of laughter caused Lissa to laugh with him and caused Sirius to smile.

Lissa bounced him on her hip a little as she said to Sirius, "Why don't you get dressed while I make breakfast so we can visit your mother later?"

Sirius made a grumbling noise and scrunched up his nose, but went to get dress none the less.

Giving Aeneas a kiss on the cheek, Lissa bounded down the stairs with Aeneas in her arms.

As Lissa entered the kitchen she pulled her wand out of the pocket of her dressing gown and conjured a highchair to place Aeneas in while she cooked.

Lissa gently set him down in the highchair and summoned a box of cereal. She measured out a small handful of cheerios and poured the handful onto the tray of the highchair. She also summoned the conjured sippy-cup, cleaned it, and filled it with lukewarm whole milk.

Leaving him in the highchair, but still in her line of sight, Lissa turned toward the kitchen to fix breakfast for Sirius and herself.

As she began mixing the batter for pancakes, Lissa heard the shower begin to run.

* * *

><p>Thirty minutes later, Sirius descended the stairs fully dressed to visit his mother.<p>

After he laid his cloak across the back of the sofa, he walked over to Aeneas and bent over to give him a kiss on the cheek but hopped away when he realized that Aeneas had sticky fingers, not wanting to get his black silk shirt messy.

Pulling out his wand, Sirius gave it a small flick in Aeneas' direction and chuckled when Aeneas let out a high-pitched shriek of laughter when a sudsy rag began to gently scrub his face and hands.

At this, Lissa looked around from where she had been putting Sirius' pancakes on a plate.

"Have a seat!" she laughed as she brought his plate over.

When she had set his plate down in front of him, Sirius pulled her towards him for a quick kiss.

"Ewie!" Aeneas interrupted, and Lissa smiled against Sirius' kiss.

Pulling away she said, "I'd better go get dressed."

Pausing only to press a quick kiss to the top of Aeneas' head, Lissa dashed up the stairs to dress for meeting Sirius' mother.

* * *

><p>After a quick shower, Lissa donned underwear and nude pantyhose before pulling a long-sleeved, black silk jersey-dress out of her closet and slipping it on. Giving her wand a flick, her dress zipped itself up. A second flick, and a pair of black patent leather pumps soared out of her closet and set themselves in front of her.<p>

Slipping her heels on, Lissa gave her wand a third flick and her long, dark hair instantly dried and arranged itself.

She quickly looked in the mirror to make sure her charm had worked as she wanted it to - making her hair straight and with good volume on top. She crossed to her dresser and pulled out a nice-sized pearl hair barrette and secured the top part of her hair on the back of her head.

Reaching into her jewelry box again, she pulled out a pair of pearl earrings and a pearl and diamond pendant and put them on.

Quickly pulling out a black patent leather purse, she gave a fourth flick of her wand and her makeup applied itself in a very refined and natural way.

Lissa placed an undetectable expansion charm on her purse and placed several toys for Aeneas, diapers, wipes, a jumper for him, a sippy-cup, two blankets, and a change of clothes for him.

Walking down the stairs, Lissa entered the living room with her wand raised and gave it a flick in Aeneas' direction, simultaneously brushing his hair and teeth, washing his face and hands, trimming and shaping his nails, and wiping his nose.

Aeneas giggled and Lissa walked over to him and plucked him out of his highchair and set him onto Sirius' lap.

"Help me change him," Lissa said to Sirius.

Lissa pulled off the pajamas that he had been dressed in since he left the Potter's house the previous night and redressed him in clothes that matched Sirius'.

She put Aeneas into a black button-down silk shirt, black dress pants, black socks, and shiny black dress shoes.

She squeezed a tiny amount of hair gel into her hand before rubbing it into Aeneas' hair and brushing his hair so that it would stay neat.

"Ready?" Lissa asked Sirius.

"Ready."

Lissa picked up her bag and then took Aeneas from Sirius and placed him on her hip.

"Can you side-along apparate us?" Lissa questioned.

Sirius took a deep breath and placed an arm around her waist.

"You look beautiful," was his response.

Lissa knew that this would be tough for him but she was proud of him for going ahead anyway.

With a soft _Crack!_, they vanished.


	13. Actions: Part V

**Cherishing Harry**

**Actions: Part V**

From the moment Kreacher opened the door to number 12 Grimmauld Place, the tension in the house could be cut with a knife.

Sirius and Lissa, with Aeneas on her lap, were sitting on an uncomfortable sofa in the parlor of the traditional home of the Blacks and facing Sirius' rather frightening mother, Walburga Black.

"So," Walburga said icily, staring straight at Sirius, "my disappointment of a son has returned."

Sirius' jaw clenched. His mother, it seemed to him, had not softened with age.

Not that she looked old. Not at all. She still looked the same as she did the last time Sirius had seen her. She still had her long, dark hair pulled into a typically tight bun and her face was as yet unlined.

She had the same aristocratic cheekbones that Sirius did and her face could have been described as beautiful but the look of disgust ruined it. Disgust wrinkled her aquiline nose, narrowed her dark eyes, and turned her lips in a sneer. She had taught her niece, Narcissa Malfoy nee Black, well.

She was dressed in a dark green dress straight from the Edwardian era aristocracy and beautiful, diamond chandelier earrings swayed when she turned her head.

Her face was paler than he remembered it being and she was slightly thinner, yet her hands were still long and graceful although they too were a bit more boney than they had been before.

Sirius remembered the chair that she sat upon. It too was hard, designed for the formal parlor to hurry unwelcome visitors along, and yet his mother's posture was perfect. Her back was exceedingly straight, her shoulders were squared, her feet were hidden by the him of her dress, and her graceful hands were folded primly on her lap.

"Mother," Sirius said formally, "I have brought my wife and son to meet you."

Walburga's eyes narrowed slightly more as she took in Lissa and Aeneas' appearances. As she noted the obvious ease with which Lissa sat in a formal parlor, Walburga's left and perfectly sculpted eyebrow raised slightly.

Lissa's posture mirrored Walburga's perfectly, aside from the fact that her hands were busy holding Aeneas.

Lissa gave an elegant nod, lowering her gaze to the floor, and murmured, "Madame Black."

Walburga's brow again raised higher.

"Mother, please let me introduce to you my bride, Larissa," Sirius said, surprising himself with how easily he slipped back into the pureblood manner.

Walburga gave a nod of consent and, impossibly, sat up straighter.

"Mother, please make the acquaintance of my bride Larissa Adelaide, formerly of the House Montmorency."

A little choking noise escaped his mother's throat and Sirius, through a use of occlumency, managed to keep his face serene even though he was snickering on the inside.

The Blacks had been trying for generations to make an alliance with the Montmorency House but it had never been accomplished. The Montmorencys were an exceedingly old, pureblooded family from France that could trace it's roots back for over 100 generations. It's first appearance in the muggle history books was in the 10th century and since then the muggles had noted that the Montmorencys had married into both the British and the French royal families. In the 12th century, Matthieu I of Montmorency married Alice Fitzroy, the illegitimate daughter of King Henry I of England, and had five children. After she died, Matthieu I married Adelaide de Maurienne, the widow of King Louis VI of France and the mother of King Louis VII of France, and had one child. Their descendants were brought up alongside future monarchs and held ducal titles. In the 16th century, the Montmorency again married into the French monarchy through the daughter of King Henry II of France, Diane of France.

_And now_, Sirius thought, _the 'disappointment of a son' had managed to do what several generations of Blacks had failed to accomplish._

At that moment Aeneas started to fuss, drawing Walburga's attention. They had been sitting in a tense room for a half-hour and it was no wonder that he had begun to fuss.

When Walburga looked at Aeneas, she softened slightly and Sirius knew that she could see part of Regulus in him, just as Sirius had.

Standing up, Walburga crossed to where Lissa and Aeneas were seated and held her arms out for Aeneas.

Silently, Lissa stood as well and gently placed Aeneas into his grandmother's arms.

As Walburga rocked him slightly, Aeneas quieted and traced his baby hand over her face.

She noticed that he had her long, elegant hands and Walburga smiled.

"What have you named my grandson?" Walburga asked Lissa quietly.

"His name is Aeneas Orion Black," Lissa answered her softly.

"When was he born?" Walburga questioned.

When Lissa hesitated, Walburga's eyes narrowed.

"Mother," Sirius said, "we need your help."

* * *

><p>While Sirius and Lissa explained to Walburga whose child they had, how he had come to them, and what they had done to make him their child, Walburga never interrupted.<p>

When Sirius and Lissa finished Walburga only said, "You certainly do."

"So, you'll help us?" Sirius asked haltingly.

"I didn't say that," Walburga said slowly.

"What!" Sirius half-shouted.

Laying a hand on Sirius' arm, Lissa murmured to Sirius, "Let her speak."

After a few minutes of silence, Walburga asked sharply, "Why have you not gone to Dumbledore with these things?"

Sirius grimaced, "Because, he was the one that changed everything in the first place."

"How so?"

"He's the one who told Lily and James about the prophesy. He's also the one who proclaimed Matthew the 'Boy-Who-Lived'. And if he knew about us having Harry, he would take him back to Lily and James," Sirius announced passionately.

"And Harry returning to the Potter's would be a bad thing?"

"Yes!" Sirius said fiercely, "They don't care about him!"

"Sirius, be fair," Lissa cautioned.

"Fine," Sirius muttered, "they may, and probably do, care about Harry but they are so consumed by Matthew that Harry is pushed to the side! They told me that because Matthew is the 'Boy-Who-Lived' he needs them more than Harry does! They said that they need to spend time with Matthew now because he could die and after Matthew faces Voldemort, _then_ they can spend time with Harry!"

"And you are willing to do whatever it takes to protect him?" Walburga asked scathingly.

"Of _course_!"

"That's all I needed to know," Walburga said confidently, backing down.

"What?" a confused Sirius responded.

"I needed to know that my efforts wouldn't be wasted," Walburga told him.

"_Kreacher!_" Walburga called.

Kreacher entered the parlor with a _pop_.

"Yes, mistress?"

"Prepare the old nursery for Master Aeneas," Walburga ordered, "Stock it with toys, clothes, and books befitting Master Aeneas' station as Master Sirius' heir. Prepare the rest of the house for his safety as well."

"_Master_ Sirius, mistress?" Kreacher asked.

"Yes. My son has returned, Kreacher, and made me very happy," Walburga told him, not sounding especially happy. "That is your stance. You should love him as you love me, Kreacher."

"Yes, mistress," Kreacher grumbled, before popping away.

"While Kreacher is preparing Aeneas' room here, we shall have our lunch and we shall discuss what your stance will be," Walburga informed Sirius and Lissa.

Sirius and Lissa stood and Sirius grasped Lissa's hand before reaching for Aeneas. Walburga handed Aeneas to Sirius and motioned for them to follow her into the formal dining room.

Kreacher, it seemed, had anticipated their desire for an early lunch. He had already set the table with the formal place settings and the room was spotlessly clean. The ornate crystal chandelier had been lit with expensive cream colored candles, the rich wood of the dining table shone, and the silver plates and utensils gleamed in the flickering light. He had even brought out the old, ornately carved wooden highchair with a cream colored cushion for 'Master Aeneas' and polished it.

He had already put the steaming lunch on the table. Kreacher had prepared a tureen of rich pumpkin soup, a side of glazed carrots in a beautiful crystal dish, a side of creamy whipped potatoes, a small crystal bowl filled with sugar-snap peas, and dish of buttered green-beans that all rested in the center of the table for the adults. Upon each adult's plate was a quarter of a roasted acorn squash and a small steak cooked to each person's liking. Each of the adults also had a glass filled with their favorite wine next to their plates.

On Aeneas' highchair Kreacher had placed a child-sized plate that held a small steak (cut into baby-size pieces) and small servings of carrots, green-beans, whipped potatoes, and peas. He had also put a small glass baby bottle filled with warm milk on the highchair.

Over lunch Walburga learned that while Sirius had been in the Order of the Phoenix since he had graduated from Hogwarts and he was an Auror, Lissa had been the opposite. Lissa had been Sirius' designated healer, because he tended to get injured so often, and she had not been a part of the Order of the Phoenix until the very end of the war.

Walburga learned that Lissa had gone to Beauxbatons in the south of France and that Lissa fluently spoke French and English and was fluent in Latin. Walburga had asked after Lissa's OWL scores (O's in Charms, Transfiguration, DADA, Potions, Herbology, Ancient Runes, Muggle Studies, Astronomy, and Arithmancy; EE in History of Magic) and then after her NEWT scores (O's in Charms, Transfiguration, Herbology, Potions, DADA, Arithmancy, and Ancient Runes).

Walburga also learned that Lissa's mother had been killed by Death Eaters and that her father had recently become deathly ill and that Lissa was the last of the Montmorencys.

* * *

><p>After everyone had finished their lunch and Kreacher had taken Aeneas for a bath and a nap, Walburga returned to the topic at hand.<p>

"So. You have had a falling out with the Potters. What _exactly_ did they day to you, Sirius?" Walburga asked in a no-nonsense tone of voice.

"James said '_But the fact of the matter is, is that he's not yours. He's mine. And what would you know about parental love? You hated your mother and she hated you. And you don't have children. You probably never will. You'll die old and alone. Without a wife. Without an heir. The last of the Blacks._'" Sirius quoted to his mother.

"That's fine. That will make a ready excuse. When approached by the Potters because young Harry is missing, we will make sure that not only do you have a wife and child that you had not told them about, we will make sure that they know that you have reconciled with your family. That you have _been_ reconciled with your family. When they contact you about Harry being missing -"

"What if they don't?" Sirius interrupted.

"They _will_ because of your argument with James and Lily, _you_ will be the most likely suspect. You are going to need and airtight alibi and _we_ will be that alibi," Walburga continued, "You, Larissa, and Aeneas were here with me enjoying our weekly family dinners. Kreacher served grilled chicken breast over penne pasta with vegetables mixed in to each of us. You cut Aeneas' in to nice sized pieces. We had a lovely time and reconciled two months after Regulus," here, Walburga choked slightly, "died . When Aeneas was born on May 14, 1980 we were all ecstatic because we knew that the Black line would continue. Does May 14th work for the both of you?" Walburga asked.

"August conception," Lissa mused, "I had been a healer for two years at that point. I would have easily been able to hide my pregnancy during the later months because I took six months off after my mother was killed as I needed to grieve and return to France and help my father sort through her things."

"Lissa and I could have been married for a year and a half prior to Aeneas' conception," Sirius added. "We would have known each other for six months when we got married."

"Your knowing each other and marrying so quickly after could be contributed to your general rashness, Sirius, and both of you fearing that you didn't have much time left in the world," Walburga agreed. "You had a very small wedding, with myself as the only witness, as you wanted to keep Larissa safe. But, now we find ourselves in need of a binder. Who could have bound you? We can also make this person Aeneas' godparent..."

"How about Remus Lupin?" Sirius suggested.

"No, no," Walburga immediately said, "if you had not told James Potter that you were marrying, you certainly would not have told the werewolf."

"Mother," Sirius said reproachfully.

"Well he _is_ a werewolf," Walburga responded with a sniff.

"Mother," Sirius warned.

"Fine then," Walburga conceded, "the _nice_ werewolf."

Sirius rolled his eyes, but let it slide, "Why not, though? I could say that I hadn't wanted James and Lily to be even more stressed then they already were and only told Remus."

"Didn't you suspect him of being the leak?" Lissa asked quietly.

"Not at that time, though," Sirius answered. "At that time we knew there was a leak but we didn't know or suspect that it was one of us."

"Remus could work then," Walburga allowed.

"Aren't you both forgetting something?" Lissa reminded.

"What?" Sirius asked, surprised that they had forgotten something.

"You first have to get Remus to agree," Lissa responded.

"Oh, he will," Sirius assured, "we've spoken amongst ourselves about how James and Lily have been treating Harry and Matthew. He agrees with me that they need to treat Harry better."

"You're sure?" Lissa asked.

"Yes."

"Well he will be a good choice," Walburga allowed.

When both Sirius and Lissa gave her odd looks, Walburga elaborated.

"No, I'm not elated that a _nice_ werewolf will be my grandson's godfather but it works rather well. As a werewolf, he will have impenetrable occlumency shields that even Dumbledore will not be able to bypass and he will be able to tutor Aeneas when he gets older, as I recall you mentioning that he got the best grades of you four while you were still in school, Sirius," Walburga said primly. Then to Lissa, she said proudly, "And Sirius was no slouch, so it must have merit."

"So, Remus it is?" Sirius said after a moment of startled silence, in which he realized that he had never fully realized how much his mother actually cared. Nor had he appreciated the Slytherin way of getting things done.

"Remus," Walburga and Lissa said in unison.


	14. Remus

**Cherishing Harry**

**Remus**

Walburga, Lissa, and Sirius looked at each other silently for a moment.

"One more thing," Lissa said hesitantly. "What are we going to do about the required documents? Sirius and I would have had to file a wedding certificate with the Ministry, and Aeneas' birth certificate as well."

"I've already got a solution for that," Walburga said with a slightly smug air. "My father, Pollux, is a member of the Wizengamot and therefore has unlimited access to the Ministry records. I'm sure I can convince him to help us. An heir is an heir, after all."

Lissa smiled, "Wonderful. Now, what about pictures from Aeneas' birth, baby pictures, first words, first magic, etc.?"

"_Kreacher!_ will be able to forge those easily," Walburga replied calmly as Kreacher popped into the room.

"Yes, mistress?" Kreacher asked.

"Have you finished Master Aeneas' room?" Walburga demanded briskly.

"Yes, mistress," Kreacher assured her with a slight bow.

"Good," Walburga said, "You will assist Mistress Larissa in creating the proper documents. You are to obey her as you would me and the forgeries that you create must be the best you have ever done."

"Yes, mistress," Kreacher said again.

"Good. Go prepare the necessities that you and Mistress Larissa will need while I finish speaking with my son. Make sure to come when either Mistress Larissa or Master Sirius call."

"Of course, mistress," Kreacher replied before vanishing with a pop.

"Now," Walburga started, "Larissa, you will work with Kreacher on the forgeries. You must make sure that every detail is focused on and that no important moments in Aeneas' life are missed."

Lissa nodded before standing and leaving the dining room.

"Sirius," Walburga continued, "you will go speak with the werewolf immediately. You will secure his agreement and then bring him here at once. He will then preform the wedding ceremony with myself as a witness before becoming Aeneas' godfather. If everything goes as planned, we will have all the documents and pictures forged by late this afternoon and Pollux will have slipped them into the records with the proper dates by the time the Ministry has closed for the day."

"And what are you going to do, mother?" Sirius asked.

"I am going to speak with my father."

* * *

><p>Remus woke with a start. His floo had chimed, announcing that someone was coming through and into his flat.<p>

Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he glanced at his clock. 12:00pm. He didn't often sleep this late, but he was still recovering from the full moon which had been two nights ago.

"Remus?" he heard someone call from the living room.

"I'm coming, I'm coming," he said through a yawn as he pulled on a pair of patched and fraying trousers.

Still waking up, he only realized that he had left his room when his bare feet touched the cold wood of his living room. When he spotted Sirius lounging on his dusty old sofa, he really wasn't surprised. Sirius could often be found bumming on Remus' sofa when Sirius didn't have work. Although, as it was a Monday, Remus didn't know why Sirius was on sofa at that moment.

"Why are you here?" Remus asked as he moved toward his kitchen.

"Gee, nice to see how welcome I am," Sirius said sarcastically.

"Don't you have duty?" Remus questioned as he set a chipped red mug on his kitchen counter.

"Not this week," Sirius responded, "I have two weeks off."

"How nice."

The two of them sat in silence as Remus fixed himself some breakfast and coffee. Once Remus had finished eating he sat silently looking as Sirius.

Contemplating him, Remus asked shrewdly, "What are you here for? You're never this quiet normally," Remus finished, forestalling Sirius' lackluster protest.

"Is your flat totally secure?" Sirius asked. At Remus' nod, he continued, "I've got a bit of a story for you. And I need your help."

Remus was intrigued.

"Go on," Remus encouraged.

And so Sirius did. Sirius told him everything. Sirius told Remus what had happened with Harry. What Lissa and his mother had done and were doing now. And what he needed Remus' help with.

And Remus agreed.


End file.
